Carbonic bung.



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2A/'if n ess e s: Mm-m ODML iINiTn STATES PATnNT Fries..

GEORGES LEJEUNE, OF NANTES, FRANCE.

CARBONIC BUNG.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 639,412, dated December 19, 1899.

. Application filed December 29, 1897. Serial No. 664,372. (No model.)

T0 cir/ZZ whom if may concern;

Be it known that I, GEORGES LEJEUNE, a citizen of the French Republic, residing at Nantes, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carbonio Bungs; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains io make and use the same.

The presentin vention has relation to a bung which is provided with a receptacle containing liquid carbonio acid and with a so-called tension-device-receiving chamber which permits to bring the liquid carbonio acid into carbonio-acid gas, this being when desiredv and under low pressure. This construction of bung, which may be used with any kind of cask, permits of obtaining frothy beer while dra'wing same off from the cask on account of the formation of the carbonio gas passing from the bung into the cask as soon as the pressure has a tendency to decrease in the latter. This bung can also iind its application in the preservation and in the drawing off of liquids,

i such as those that are not to comein contact with the atmospheric air.

With this apparatus all the reservoirs, airpumps, and other expensive and complicated devices employed heretofore can be dispensed with.

My invention is illustrated inthe annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a sectional elevation of the apparatus; Fig. 2, a plan view of the same with the plate S removed; Fig. 3, a sectional view through a line X X on Fig. l; Fig. 4, the front view of the obturator interposed in the channel that communicates from theinterior of the bung to the caslr.

The apparatus consists of a metallic receptacle A, designed to oppose a very strong pressure, on which is screwed the body B of the tension-device-receiving chamber. The latter is screw-threaded at its upper end, and on this threaded part is screwed the bung proper, C, which, as shown in Fig. l, is turned in a ruiter shape at its exterior end. This part can either be plain or screw-threaded, according to the shape of the socket adapted to the cask and on which it is to be xed.

The tensiondevice-receiving chamber B has two openings, one of which, D, is` for the introduction of liquid carbonio acid and the other, E, to exhaustgas from the bnnginto the cask. These two apertures communicate with the receptacle A through a central channel F, through which passes a rod G, provided The valve I-I is provided with a cap H2,

which serves to guide a spring K, the said spring having a tendency to keep the valve constantly on its seat. This spring K is placed in a tube K', screwed on the tensiondevice-receiving chamber, and it rests at its lower end on a screw-threaded ring k, screwed into the tube K and provided with an aper-y ture la for the passage of the carbonio acid. In front of this aperture is placed a small metallic cloth 7a2 to prevent the entrance of foreign bodies. The tension of the spring K can be regulated by screwing the ring 7c more or less into the tube 71;'.

On the upper part of the rod G is screwed a piston L, the surface of which should be as large as possible. This piston is bored with holes Z, closed by an india-rubber valve Z, attached on the piston and on a crown l2, used as a seat for a spring IWI by means of screws.

Thepurpose of this arrangement is to allow the gas to exhaust through the apertures Z when an excess of gas is produced. The piston L is provided at its lower end with an ebonite vvalve L similar to 'the valve H and which by resting on its seat L2 cuts the comrnunication between the two channels F and The tension of the spring M governs the gas-pressure under the piston L and in the Cask. This tension may be regulated,as desired, by screwing more or less the piston L on the rod G. To this end the piston has on its upper part a square portion L3, on which a Spanner can be placed. A screwthreaded ring M' is screwed on the body of the piston. This ring is adapted to govern the maximum tension to be given .to the spring in order not to exceed a certain pressure in the cask. Vhen IOO this maximum tension of tlie spring has been reached, the ring IW comes to rest on the inner face of the bung and prevents the unscrewing of the piston.

The channel E, which causes the tensiondevice-receiving chamber to communicate with the cask, is shut by a small plate N, used as a spring. This plate prevents any accidental return of liquid into the bung, while allowing at the same time the gas to pass from the tension-devicereceiving chamber into the cask. The obturator N is kept in place by a screw P, which is used at the same time to shut the channel D.

The bung C is provided with two holes c for the introduction of a fastening-key. Two other holes c' set the upper part of the tension-device-receiving chamber in communication With the exterior. The bung has on it a rim R, provided with a groove r, in which is sprung a safety-plate S, which is removed or destroyed when the bungis to be attached to a cask. The holes C' serve for the passage of the acid into the cask.

Operation: The receptacle A of the bung having previously been charged with liquid carbonic acid under a strong pressure, the valve finds itself closed. The bung is liXed on the cask. Then I proceed to tighten the spring M by unserewing the piston L. Directly the tension of the spring becomes stronger than the pressure operated on the valve H by the carbonic acid of the receptaclel and by the spring K the valve I-I opens slightly and the gas passing through the channel F comes under the piston L and from here goes through the channel E into the interior of the cask. I continue to tighten the spring as the pressure in the cash becomes weaker through leaking or drawing off of the liquid Iing same.

from the easlc. When it is required to fill the receptacle A with carbonio acid, the screw P and the obturator N are taken off, then the piston is screwed so as to cause the valve L to rest on its seat L2, after which a tube is screwed in the threaded portion of the channel D, said tube bringing the carbonic acid which is liquefied either by cooling or by compress- When the receptacle A has been sufficiently charged with carbonic acid, the piston L is unscrewed from valve L', whereby the pressure of the carbonic acid causes the valve H to rest on its seat H. The obturator N and the screw P are then put back in place and the safety-plate fixed on the bung.

I claim- A device of the class described, embodying a carbonio-acid container A and a tension-device-receiving chamber B united to form an integral member and communicating with each other by means of a central longitudinal channel or bore F, the chamber B having an apertured threaded cap C provided with a destructibleend disk S, and a lateral passage for charging the container, a tube K extending into the container, a spring-pressed valve -in said tube, a threaded rod G traversing said channel and operatively attached to said valve, a piston L on the upper end of said rod and embodying a valve adapted to normally close said channel, a spring bearing upon said piston, and means whereby the tension of said spring may be adjusted, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGES 'LEJEUNE Witnesses:

I. LALBIN, HUBERT. 

